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WWF-Canada reacts to federal budget unveiled today

OTTAWA, March 22, 2016 /CNW/ - WWF-Canada welcomes the Canadian federal budget unveiled today. It commits to putting the brakes on global warming, conserving Canada's natural wealth, and investing in science, research and innovation in order to gain data and expertise to effectively achieve the environmental aims of Canadians.

Quotes from David Miller, president and CEO of WWF-Canada"We're pleased to see the Government of Canada reflect what the majority of Canadians keep telling us: That environmental protections and sustainability go hand-in-hand with economic prosperity. While this budget makes some progress in integrating climate-change into many areas of government policy, more work needs to be done to make the climate-change fight part of every sector of the economy and every department's operations and budgets."

On climate change: "Climate change is a global problem we need to tackle in our own country and around the world. The new low carbon fund will help us meet the obligations we made in Paris to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep the Earth from warming further. But we're only part of solution. The $2.65-billion proposed to help developing countries meet their commitment helps us achieve our shared goals that transcend national boundaries."

On science, research and innovation investment: "The millions invested in sound science, rich data collection and robust research and innovation will help ensure other money is wisely invested in conservation and environmental-sustainability efforts that maximize efficiency and return on investment."

On conservation: "Investing to expand national parks and national marine conservation areas helps protect Canada's most ecologically important areas. It's heartening to see Lancaster Sound named as a priority for protection, which we've pushing for years along with our indigenous partners in the North. And it's significant that these amazing Canadian spaces will now be free for all Canadians and visitors to experience and enjoy so they can deepen their connection to our natural world."

On support for indigenous peoples: "Canada's indigenous peoples are vital partners in wildlife and habitat conservation in Canada. The considerable funds invested to build a better future for indigenous Canadians will allow them to player a stronger role in helping wildlife and nature thrive for all Canadians. We're pleased to see specific support for combining indigenous knowledge with conventional research to make decisions on exploration in Canada's North."

About WWFWWF-Canada solves the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that wildlife, nature and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife www.wwf.ca

SOURCE WWF-Canada

For further information: Philippe Devos, director of communications and media, pdevos@wwfcanada.org, +1 416-453-0092